Saturday, July 16, 2016

"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" Debuts September 10th on Starz

Exclusive Television Premiere of Movie Also Available for Download via the STARZ App

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--STARZ subscribers rejoice! Epic lightsaber battles and X-wing dogfights will be available exclusively to STARZ subscribers with the television premiere of Star Wars: The Force Awakens with a special presentation on Saturday, September 10, 2016. The seventh installment in the Star Wars franchise will premiere on all six STARZ channels at 9 PM ET/PT and again at 11:20 PM ET/PT and be available for download via the STARZ App as of September 10, 2016.

“No greater fandom has ever existed than the Star Wars fans, and we are thrilled to be the exclusive home of The Force Awakens”

“No greater fandom has ever existed than the Star Wars fans, and we are thrilled to be the exclusive home of The Force Awakens,” said Chris Albrecht, President and CEO of Starz. “We are offering a variety of ways for fans and subscribers to watch – on the STARZ networks, on demand, by streaming or download on the STARZ App or through an Amazon Prime STARZ subscription. We want to make the movie as accessible as the fans’ appetites for what is truly one of the greatest franchises of all time.”

For $8.99 per month with a 7-day free trial for new subscribers, fans now have the opportunity to enjoy instant access to more than 2,700 selections each month, including STARZ hit series ranging from “Outlander,” “Power” and the upcoming “American Gods,” to Hollywood hits and popular movies. STARZ subscribers from participating cable, satellite and telco partners can also authenticate and view STARZ content in the new, easy-to-use app. Users can authenticate to STARZ directly in-app or on their PC/Mac and watch every episode of every season of the best of STARZ’s original programming, as well as the biggest, most extensive movie library of all the premium subscription networks in the U.S.*

Star Wars: The Force Awakens will air across the STARZ channels numerous times throughout the day on Sunday, September 11, 2016, including replays on STARZ at 9 PM ET/PT and 11:20 PM ET/PT.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens saw the eagerly anticipated reteaming of original Star Wars stars Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, and Mark Hamill, along with Anthony Daniels, the only actor to have been in all seven Star Wars films, and Peter Mayhew. The returning cast was joined by newcomer Daisy Ridley, who beat out fierce competition to take the principal role of Rey; BAFTA Rising Star Award winner John Boyega (Attack the Block, Imperial Dreams) as reluctant stormtrooper Finn; Emmy® nominee Adam Driver (Lincoln, “Girls”) as the villainous Kylo Ren, and Golden Globe® winner Oscar Isaac (Inside Llewyn Davis, The Bourne Legacy) as Resistance pilot Poe Dameron.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens was directed by J.J. Abrams and written by Lawrence Kasdan & J.J. Abrams and Michael Arndt. Lucasfilm President and eight-time Academy Award® nominee Kathleen Kennedy and J.J. Abrams, along with his longtime producing partner Bryan Burk, are the film’s producers. Having established a musical legacy with his iconic scores for the previous six films in the Star Wars saga, acclaimed composer John Williams returned to score Star Wars: The Force Awakens, ultimately garnering his 50th Oscar® nomination for his work.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens brought an estimated $248 million in North America, and two sequels, Episode VIII and Episode IX, are scheduled for release in 2017 and 2019.

About Starz
Starz (NASDAQ: STRZA, STRZB) is a leading integrated global media and entertainment company with operating units that provide premium subscription video programming on domestic U.S. pay television networks (Starz Networks) and global content distribution (Starz Distribution), www.starz.com. The Starz Networks operating unit is home to the flagship STARZ® brand with 24.0 million subscribers in the United States as of March 31, 2016, with the STARZ ENCORESM network at 32.4 million subscribers. Through STARZ, the company provides high quality, entertaining premium subscription video programming with 17 premium pay TV channels and associated on-demand and online services. STARZ is sold through U.S. multichannel video distributors, including cable operators, satellite television providers, telecommunications companies, and other online and digital platforms. Starz offers subscribers more than 5,000 distinct premium television episodes and feature films every year and up to 1,500 every month, including STARZ Original series, first-run movies and other popular movie and television programming. The Starz Distribution operating unit is home to the Anchor Bay Entertainment, Starz Digital, and Starz Worldwide Distribution divisions. In addition to STARZ Original series, Starz Distribution develops, produces and acquires movies, television and other entertainment content for worldwide home video, digital, and television licensing and sales.

*source: Starz internal analysis of distinct movie title data for the period 1/1/2015-12/31/2015.